The Somerset reporter., 1887-12-14
THE AMERICAN FARMER.
A LACK OF WELL KEPT LAWNS
AND FLOWER GARDENS.

AND FLOWER GARDENS.
Want of Interest In the Production of
Fine Vegetables and Small Fruits in
OF Machinery.
Farmers are often blamed because they
do not have well kept lawns and flower
gardens in front Of their houses. orua.
mented walks about the premises, arbars
and shaded seats. Many state that lack
Of taste accounts for the absence II all
these things. They are common in vi
lagos, and they declare they would be
common on farms if their owners had any
appreciation Of them. Farmers are also
criticised heeause they do not raise a great
variety of choice vegetables and small
fruit for home consumption. They are
often reminded that they could live much
better than they do, and be at no greater
expense Tor food, if they would only set
out aud cultivate fruit bearing vines and
bushes, hive "A hot bed and rai>e fine
vegetables, such rs celery, asparagus and
egg plant They are reminded that city
people have fine vegetables and small
fruits ON their tables almost continually,
while farmers rarely ever have them.
They are also informed that all these
things "cost money i'll town, while they
can he had Ill the country for the trouble
OF raising them.
LICK IN LITTLE THINGS.
American farmers, especially these liY-
ing in the west. are informed that farmers
in France Belgium and Holland obtain
the food for their families almost entirely
from their gardens and poultry yards, and
are thereby able to convert nearly all tie
product OF their fields aud pastures into
money. 1t has even been shown that
Frerch farmers receive several million
dollars per year for tile eggs they send to
England. Farmers in the prairie region
are often Informed of the important part
the garden plays in furnishing food for the
farmers in the eastern states, and they are
told that the rich soil in the west is much
better for producing vegetables than the
hard and stony soil Of New England and
the central states. still it must be
acknowledged that not much progress is
made in increasing the production Of fine
vegetables and small fruits on western
farms The men who follow farminGas a
business in the west and eudeayor 10 mike
money by it have few lawns, hut little
shruihery small plantations Of fruit,
smaller Hover gardens, aud only apologies
for vegetable gardens.
But for all this, and for all that. they
are not deficient in good taste and Int
uuappreciatiye of the charms IT beauty,
and not insensible of the "joys Of the Ia
bic. - They like beautiful surroundings
and are fond Of good living y combine
ton Of unfayorable circumstances eeu-
orally prevents them from Identifying
their farms, from fixing up things
about the house, from raising small fruits,
and from supplying their tables with
choice home grown vegetables. Western
farms are generally laree. and the produce
ton of field crops is conducted on an eN-
tcnsive scale. Labor is searcer and dearer
than in most Of the eastern states, and
very much scarcer and dearer than in
those foreign countries where So much at
tcntion is given Ia the produCtiveueSs If
small fruits choice vegetables and fauey
poultry Most Of our hired men Hre
new comers-"g rccnhorns who are IN
competent 10 do anything but the coarse
and rough work ON the place They re
quirc large amount Of directing To Ell
able them 10 do TINS properly. The fauncr
has too many things To look after to ELI
able him to devote too much time 10 fruit
raising aud gardening
OFF To THE Town.
Hands available for farm work appear
to become scarccr every season. Anhi
tiuus yuuHt men who are acquainted with
field and garden work are anxious 10 oh
tain farms far themselves while land is
clcap Almost all Who work fer WAGES
En to the lHrEc towns II seek Omu,aNment
The Consequences are ..aleHy 4
farm aaerer-, poor sefyre and hiza